Malaria Medicine
 

We are travelling to Kenya on a safari. What should I ask my doctor to prescribe for anti-malaria protection? There seem to be several medicines suggested by the CDC and I'm hoping for advice regarding the most effective and best tolerated of the lot.

Adam, you'll really only find anecdotal information here - those of us who have tried various anti-malarials can share with you our experiences. But those don't really give you a good understanding of the statistical likelihood of reactions or not. And most practicing doctors are, rightly, wary of giving advice to people who are not their patients, especially on sites such as this where advice can be miscontrued.

Personally, I have experienced reactions to some antimalarials so I now take only Malarone. It's a lot more expensive than other options but it seems to have a record of less side-effects and is also very effective. You also don't need to start it as far in advance or continue it for as long after you trip.

But really, you need to either ask your doctor to access the latest information on Kenya or go to a specialist travel clinic, if you're not sure your doctor is up to date.

The advice, as you're probably aware, varies from country to country because of the different strains of malaria and the different resistances built up against various antimalarials. And the situation changes too so even if one of us had advice as of 6 months ago it may not be the best advice today.

All I would say is that I'm glad your looking into this and taking it seriously. My dad caught malaria a couple of years ago and was extremely ill indeed. Even once diagnosed and ensconsed in a specialist tropical diseases unit it was touch and go for a while.

So I definitely recommend being strict about taking whichever drug you end up on.

:D

I can't speak from experience because we are leaving in about a week for our first safari, but after reading many reports from other fodorites, the recommended choice was Malarone. We also went to a travel clinic and that's what they recommended as well. So that's what we went with. More expensive, but hopefully worth it!

Adam,

Are you going to a travel doctor? The reason I ask is that a regular doctor probably doesn't have too much experience on this topic, as well as the issue of what vaccinations to get.

Checking out the CDC site is always a good start, but as you noticed, the answers are not open and shut. A travel doc can help balance out all different factors (for both meds and vaccines), such as the length of your trip, the style or itinerary of your trip, and the season, since all these items can make different pros and cons.

Basically, you and your doctor need to be aware that some anti-malarials do not work in some regions.

Once you have identified the ones that work in the region you are going to, then you choose based on your own health history (do you have a history of anxiety, for example), the possible side effects , the cost (some are expensive), or other factors (do you care if it is daily vs weekly?)

So that is why a travel doc is really your best bet.

The other three members of my family have taken Mefloquine (Larium) and have had no problems. You only have to take it once a week, so that is convenient. My BIL took something that he had to take every day, but I don't know what it was. I think it made him a little nauseous.

I just came from the travel clinic this very morning. I was surprised how long it took and how thorough she was (I forget things rather easily and quickly!). This is the only way to go, IMHO. For example, I take meds for high blood pressure and as a result, some anti-malarials are not recommended for me. I'll be camping (cushy camping) so some other meds were suggested. Her job (the doctor's) is to keep us travelers healthy and I respect that!

I'm sure you do too or you wouldn't be asking!

Malarone seems to have less side effects than Larium. If you have a choice between the two, take Malarone. On the downside Malarone is daily and Larium is weekly. On the minus side Larium is known to cause bizarre dreams in people and some have had delusional symptoms. I personally have had lots of trouble sleeping when taking Larium.

Mike

We recently returned from three weeks in Pakistan (I know that's not in Africa!) and, on the advice of our travel clinic, took Malarone. We had no side effects at all. Our drug plan paid for most of it, so I'm not sure about the precise cost, but would certainly recommend it from a wellness point of view.

I took Malarone and it made me a bit queezy, but taking it at night worked better. Don't forget to bring a good bug repellent!

Never been to Africa but when traveling in South East Asia , I took Doxycline . I also heard that Malerone is the best and has the least side-effects. Unfortunately, it is the most expensive. Larium may cause problems to people with anxiety or psychological records and should not be taken in such a case. Doxclyne (sorry for my spelling ) can be taken daily but it may cause you to look suntanned and you should avoid being exposed to sun.